Atlanta Braves
Key Additions: Nick Markakis, Jason Grilli, Jonny Gomes, A.J. Pierzynski, Alberto Callaspo, Jim Johnson, Arodys Vizcaino, Manny Banuelos
Key Losses: Jason Heyward, Justin Upton, Evan Gattis, Ervin Santana, Kris Medlen, Brandon Beachy, David Carpenter, Emilio Bonifacio, Aaron Harang, Tommy La Stella, Chasen Shreve
2014 Record: 79-83
Playoffs: No
Season Outlook: Ugh. Read the losses again. The Braves found themselves down an entire outfield, a second baseman (during a time in which the team needed youth and certainty at the position), 80 percent of a starting rotation, a great reliever and a solid utility infielder. To replace those players, the team literally raided the MLB scrapyard and came away with a handful of rusty nails and a soggy box of trash. The revamped front office (Frank Wren is out, John Hart is in) is clearly shooting for 2017, when SunTrust Park opens, to contend once again. And yet, they gave 4 years to an outfielder who has spent his entire, relatively mediocre career in the AL, signed several bullpen guys who have had massive meltdowns as recently as the last calendar year, a backup catcher more notable for what he says than what he does, and Alberto Callaspo, which is the most insulting thing you can call a ballplayer. They didn't need Vizcaino that badly: the bullpen is one of the few strong spots of the team even after the subtraction of Carpenter and Shreve (especially with Banuelos now waiting in the wings), and they could have easily held onto La Stella, who would have brought some La Stability to a position previously handled by the tattered remains of Dan Uggla. Instead, as they did almost everywhere else there was a hole, they plugged it with garbage. Oh, and let's not forget The Artist Formerly Known As B.J. Upton, as Melvin (be honest, you didn't know that was his real name) has been the face of the freefall. I understand the necessity of a rebuild, or a restart, or whatever the hell we're pretending this is, but if you want fans to come to a new park, dismantling the team and shipping off most of the good players is not the way to put butts into those new seats. Over the past several years, my friends and I have made the trek to Turner Field for Opening Day, but none of us feel like it's worth the time now. This team is, quite simply, unwatchable.
Biggest Need: You can't narrow it down to just one. Rather, I can't, and I won't.
Miami Marlins
Key Additions: Mat Latos, Dee Gordon, Ichiro Suzuki, Dan Haren (tentatively), Michael Morse, Martin Prado
Key Losses: Andrew Heaney, Anthony DeSclafani, Nathan Eovaldi, Casey McGehee
2014 Record: 77-85
Playoffs: No
Season Outlook: Remember back in late May, when the Marlins were still contending for a Wild Card spot and seemed to be a dangerous squad? Man, that was funny. What isn't funny are the major injuries that befell their two biggest stars: Jose Fernandez had Tommy John surgery in late May when he was en route to a Kershaw-ian season, and Giancarlo Stanton had his face rearranged by an errant Mike Fiers fastball (something that didn't stop the Miami brass from giving the batting behemoth the biggest contract extension of all time, in baseball or anything else, ever). While Stanton should be up and regularly crushing baseballs on Opening Day, Fernandez won't be appearing on a major league mound until June at the earliest. Still, this team acquired players that alone seem ancillary, but together, they actually form a pretty strong (albeit questionable) nucleus. Latos and Haren, both in walk years, will add stability to the rotation: Aside from missing the first couple of months last year, Mat has never made less than 30 starts, nor has Dan. They've still got Complete Game Henderson Alvarez and Jarred Cosart to hold down the hurling responsibilities in Eovaldi's absence until Jose is ready to rock. Morse saw a 160-point jump in his OPS from 2013-14, more impressively doing it in AT&T Park, a notorious pitcher's haven. He won't have any problem sending some balls out of Marlins Park, another cavernous confine, and his presence will make it more difficult for pitchers to throw around Stanton. Ichiro continues his quest for 3,000 (American) hits, Gordon has the potential to lead the game in stolen bags once more, and Prado gives the team a superlative amount of positional flexibility (although he projects as the starting third baseman, with the trade of McGehee). Perhaps surprisingly, this Miami team could be strong enough to contend in a weak division. Heh. Hehehe...
Biggest Need: Their biggest need is, rather, something they don't need. Stanton will be physically ready to start the season, but will he be prepared mentally? Getting your jaw broken by a baseball with the force of a locomotive would be enough to convince anyone to throw in the towel. If he can rebound, he'll remain the scariest slugger in baseball.
New York Mets
Key Additions: Michael Cuddyer...wait, really? That's it?
Key Losses: None
2014 Record: 79-83
Playoffs: No
Season Outlook: When Cuddyer became the first free agent with draft pick compensation stigma attached to sign this year, there was a feeling that this was the first of several moves by the unlovable younger brother of MLB teams in NYC. It seemed confusing to just sign Cuddyer and call it an offseason, but surely the Mets had a plan. And they did! The plan was to just sign Cuddyer and call it an offseason, though. Still, the starting pitching will be a force to be reckoned with. They'll have their ace back in a fully-recovered Matt Harvey, with Noah Syndegaard knocking on the door quite loudly. The rest of the rotation, composed of reigning Rookie of the Year Jacob DeGrom, Zack Wheeler, Jonathan Niese and Bartolo "How is he still around?" Colon, rounds things out nicely (insert your own fat/round joke). The bullpen is about the same, with Jenrry Meija entrenched as the colorful closer and Jeurys Familia handling middle relief with finesse. If either of them find themselves incapable of shutting opponents down, Vic Black should be an adequate replacement, as he proved himself to be a perfectly capable middle reliever with the team last year. The lineup still leaves a lot to be desired, however: while Cuddyer should hit at an acceptable clip, Curtis Granderson disappointed mightily in his first year with the other NY team, posting career lows in batting average, slugging and OPS. He and Cuddyer will flank Juan Lagares, by all accounts one of the slickest-fielding middle outfielders in the game. Daniel Murphy and Lucas Duda both had surprisingly strong offensive seasons, but the other side of the infield did not: Wilmer Flores is a mirage, and David Wright hit just 8 balls over the fence. If this Amazin' team will be the first to contend in a decade, they'll need much more firepower from their big boppers.
Biggest Need: They need to be any team other than the Mets. Maybe not the Braves.
Philadelphia Phillies
Key Additions: Aaron Harang
Key Losses: Jimmy Rollins, Marlon Byrd, A.J. Burnett
2014 Record: 73-89
Playoffs: No
Season Outlook: The Phillies' greatest accomplishment during their slow slide into irrelevance is passing the rising Mets on the way down. At least the ride is over, and the Phils are phirmly in the NL East cellar. While Chase Utley wraps up a Hall of Fame-caliber career in Philly, fellow Cooperstown hopeful Jimmy Rollins will play the rest of his games (most likely) in Los Angeles. Byrd was traded to Cincinnati, and Burnett left to join the other Pennsylvania team for the second time. Those who remain in the City of Brotherly Love, though, won't be feeling much of it. Ryan Howard is a bigger waste of money than ballpark beer, the entire outfield could be replaced by mannequins with gloves and nobody would notice, and any non-Hamels pitcher on the team (while not subject to the same level of trade scrutiny) is either too old, too young, ineffective, or some combination of the three, such as mean-mugger Cliff Lee, who is currently rehabbing from an elbow injury that sidelined him for the final 2 months of 2014. Speaking of the man himself, it's highly likely that the Phils open the season with Cole on the mound. His losing record last year belies his strong season (#killthewin), he remains one of the few bright spots on the roster, and general manager Ruben Amaro's outrageous demands make any deal difficult to consummate. If there was a team crazy enough to take on the remaining $94 million still due to Hamels ($114 million if a team on his no-trade list picks up his $20 million option for 2019) AND give up their three top prospects, wouldn't they have stepped in already? Just as challenging to move, for completely different reasons, is incumbent closer Jonathan Papelbon. The team has a replacement who is ready to rock in Ken Giles, but while they'd love to get Papelbon and his historically negative attitude out of the clubhouse, his contract also represents a huge obstacle. Hey, at least it's always sunny in Philadelphia.
Biggest Need: A new GM. Ruben Amaro lost his mind many years ago and continues to call the shots. It's staggering.
Washington Nationals
Key Additions: Max Scherzer, Yunel Escobar
Key Losses: Adam LaRoche, Tyler Clippard, Asdrubal Cabrera, Rafael Soriano, Ross Detwiler
2014 Record: 96-66
Playoffs: Lost NLDS to Giants, 3 games to 1
Season Outlook: One of these seasons, the Nats will be pegged as the best team in baseball and actually live up to that moniker. Heading into the 2014 season, DC was once again the runaway favorite to take home the Commissioner's Trophy. Their rotation, starring Jordan Zimmermann, Stephen Strasburg, Gio Gonzalez and offseason pickup Doug Fister, was considered the best in the game. The lineup, including Bryce Harper, Ryan Zimmerman, Jayson Werth and Anthony Rendon in a breakout year, was going to provide significant offensive muscle to back up the pitching. The bullpen, with Soriano, Clippard and Drew Storen, was supposed to close games out with ease. To be fair, the Nationals had one of the best records in the game, and the top record in the NL. Still, the franchise's second postseason trip ended the same way as the first: in a NLDS defeat. Bringing in Scherzer to strengthen baseball's best starting five is a great move, and Escobar's presence at second means no more waiting on Danny Espinosa (while giving the team a pretty solid backup plan should anything happen to incumbent free agent Ian Desmond). R-Zimm moving to first so Rendon can handle third full-time is another smart move that should further improve what is shaping up to be one of the game's better defensive infields. The biggest questions lie in the rotation, but nothing to do with the health of the starting five: after the World Series, Jordan Zimmermann and Doug Fister become free agents. Stephen Strasburg and Gio Gonzalez will be granted free agency after the 2016 WS. This is all barring extensions, of course, but things have been surprisingly quiet on all fronts. Therefore, it's paramount that the Nats capitalize on this season, and there is every indication (and the sorry state of the division) to believe they will. Stop me if you've heard this before, but the Nats are this writer's pick to win it all in 2015. And 2014, 2013, 2012...
Biggest Need: A full, healthy season from Harper. Even though the hype may have been a little over-the-top, Bryce is still a massive boost to this team when he's on the field. However, he's played in fewer games every year since debuting (139, 118, 100). If he plays 150+ games, not only could the Nats once again cruise to a division title, Harper might finally warrant serious MVP consideration.
Projected 2015 Standings
Washington Nationals
Miami Marlins
New York Mets
Atlanta Braves
Philadelphia Phillies
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